A pickup truck includes a front end having an engine and a cab and a rear end having a bed. The bed is a platform onto which cargo may be loaded. The bed is bordered by a back wall of the cab, two side walls, and a tailgate. The tailgate is movable from an open position in which the tailgate is coplanar with the bed, i.e., generally horizontal, to a closed position in which the tailgate is perpendicular to the bed, i.e., generally vertical. The closed position keeps cargo from sliding off the bed while the truck is in motion, and the open position allows easier access to the bed for loading and unloading cargo.